The Omnipotence Paradox
by Kanon Anderson
Summary: What happens when an unstoppable force meets and unmovable object? A new teenager arrives at Sanctuary, with characteristics eerily similar to those of Ashley Magnus.
1. Chapter 1

Apologize in advance for an inaccuracies. This is my first story for this series. Hope you like it! As always, feedback is appreciated.

Dr. Will Zimmerman worked at his computer, running his hand through his hair in frustration. Rain poured down outside, lighting flashing through the windows. Around him, Sanctuary was silent, save for the dull roar of the rain against the roof. He had tried working in his lab, but found himself easily distracted, so he had returned to his room to work more comfortably. For the past four hours, he had been researching on various facilities Ashley could be in. It'd been two months since she defected from Sanctuary and Magnus had been slave driving herself and the others working at Sanctuary to find her daughter, using whatever means necessary to get any information.

He was about to run another search when the ding of his Skype caught his attention. With a smile, he saw that it was Clara Griffith calling from the Sanctuary in London. "Clara, hey," he said, the smile growing as her image appeared on his screen.

"Hey," she said, "Glad you're online. We've got something here that might interest you."

"Yeah? What that," he asked, rubbing his hands through his hair and leaning back in his chair.

"A girl who was created by a rogue Cabal scientist sought sanctuary here two days ago ." She smirked at his reaction, which was just what she had anticipated. He straightened up in his chair, reaching for his pad of paper. The shadows that had hung under his eyes lightened and the drowsiness he had been feeling instantly cleared.

"Created," Will asked. "What do you mean by created?"

"Our scientists have found that she's not a creation of nature or even of naturally occurring genetic mutation," Clara explained. "Her DNA was specifically created as an egg to create the perfect soldier. As far as the notes she brought us read, she was conceived in a test tube, born out of an placenta-like tank. And she's like nothing we've seen before." She stopped, allowing him to catch up with his writing, then continued. "She has super human strength, can teleport and skin that cannot be penetrated except for by 15-5PH metal. Her aging has slowed and she will never die. Sound familiar?"

"Like Ashley," Will said, realization dawning on him.

"The rogue scientist who created her was named Dr. Ian DeAntenari. We did some research on him and found that he was a rogue scientist, that used to work for Cabal," Clara said, "Our intelligence seems to indicate that he left the Cabal about twenty years ago when his research wasn't going in the direction intended."

"Is there any trace of the source blood in her," Will asked, reaching for his notepad.

"Yes," Clara said, "Doctors are still analyzing her blood in an effort to distinguish what makes her so unusual and how she's able to control her powers so well. Given the circumstances, it seems that she will be in better hands over there."

"I'll talk to Magnus and see about having her transferred here," Will said. "Is everything else going alright?"

"Yeah," she said, "As soon as the transferred approved, I'll work on this end to get her set. She's pretty easy to work with. A bit shy, but what's to be expected for growing up in a lab?"

"Great," Will said, "Thanks for your help, Clara."

"No problem," she said, "Hope to see you soon." She blew him a kiss through the screen and signed off. Gathering his notes and computer, Will hurried out of the library to try and find Magnus.

Dr. Helen Magnus was curled up on the couch in the study, notes and observations from the ambush with Ashley spread out around her. Footsteps from the hall caught her attention and she looked to see Will walk in, looking more energized than she had seen in awhile. "Hello Will, care to chat about something," she asked, moving the notes and such for him to join her on the couch.

"I just got off of Skype with Clara," he said, "They just got an abnormal at the UK Sanctuary that was created by a Cabal scientist."

"What," Magnus asked, sitting up. Notes slid off her lap, but she made no attempt to pick them up. Her attention was entirely focused on the doctor in front of her. "When?"

"Two days ago," he responded, "She brought the scientist's notes with her, when she sought sanctuary there. Clara said she's unlike anything they've seen. Superhuman strength, impenetrable skin, teleportation abilities….any of this sound like Ashley to anyone else?"

He watched as she leapt off the sofa and followed her to her quarters. "They need to prep her for transfer to here," she said, grabbing clothes out of her closet to change. "Have Henry prep a chamber for her, until we can assert her abilities and her safety. Meet me back here in ten minutes. I'm going to see if John can teleport us there."

Will nodded, turning on his heel running down to speak with Henry before meeting up with Magnus.

"Henry, you've gotta prep a chamber in the lab for an abnormal," Will said, streaking into Henry's lab. The young technician looked up, an owlish expression on her face. "We're transferring an abnormal from the UK Sanctuary tonight. Magnus and I are going to go pick her up with John."

"What kind of abnormal," Henry asked, setting aside the object he had been working on and heading towards the cavernous downstairs lab area.

"One that can teleport and is hard to kill," he said. "One that could contain someone that has the likes of Ashley." Henry stopped in his tracks, his startled eyes meeting Will's.

"I can't explain now. Magnus' on a streak right now and wants to get her back here as soon as possible," Will said, stopping and facing Henry when he noticed he had stopped walking. "Just have the chamber ready for when we get back."

"Not a problem," Henry said, picking up the pace again and heading down to the lab.

Will took only a minute to run to his room and grab a sweatshirt and change jeans before running back down to the study to meet back up with Magnus and Druitt.

John heard the familiar clicking of Helen's heels and looked up to see her walk into his room, her eyes wide and bright with excitement and apprehension. "Helen, what is it," he asked, rising from his chair and walked over to her.

"Clara just spoke with Will about an abnormal they received two days ago," Helen stated, "An abnormal who was created by a rogue Cabal scientist and who has skills eerily similar to Ashley's."

"Created," John asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Her powers aren't naturally occurring. She's been genetically altered to posses them," Helen said, "I need you to teleport Will and I to the UK Sanctuary to get her. Henry's prepping a chamber here for her."

John nodded without question, following her out of the room and back down in the study, where Will stood, waiting for Helen and John. Out of the corner of his eye, Will saw John grab him and he just had enough time to shut his eyes before he was teleported across the ocean and the majority of the continent to the UK Sanctuary.


	2. Chapter 2

Will opened his eyes and bent down, catching his breath. "God, I hate that," he said, spitting once.

"It's not so bad after awhile," John said, giving him a strong pat on the back. Will shot him a glare, then straightened up. Magnus was already at the door, knocking. By the looks of the sky, morning was just dawning.

Clara answered the door, surprised to already see Will, Magnus and Druitt at the door. "Wow. Didn't know you would be here so quick," she said, opening the doors to let them in. "Dr. Grey's with her now, conducting a last exam before she's transported."

"Would it be possible to get a copy of the notes from her initial exams," Helen asked briskly. She wanted nothing more than to get the girl back in her lab and begin her own examinations, desperate for some clue on how to get her own daughter back.

"We've been keeping her in a lab surrounded by an EM field, in case she tries to escape," Clara said, "She came here on her own will, though and seems to have no ill will towards us, so we have little reason to keep her captive."

"What is the subject's name," Magnus asked, following the young woman through the winding halls.

"She calls herself Emma. Says it was given to her by Dr. DeAtenari when she was two," Clara reported.

"She remembers being two," Magnus asked, her eyebrows raised. The fact that the teen hadn't been named until age two didn't slip past her either.

"She remembers the placental chamber she was born from." Magnus glanced at Will who shrugged, continuing to follow her through the halls.

They stopped outside of a small room with a glass wall that revealed a room entirely in white with stone walls. A petite girl of about fifteen sat on the bed, wearing torn jeans and a tank top with a zip up sweatshirt. Her dark, curly hair fell over her shoulder, hiding her from sight. Clara swiped her card and entered the room, leading Magnus and Will into the room. "Emma, this is Drs. Will Zimmerman and Helen Magnus. Dr. Magnus oversees the entire Sanctuary system."

Emma turned, her brilliant green eyes looking on Helen's. Will's eyes scanned the teen, finding himself drawn to the unnatural brilliance of her eyes. He recognized the clouded light in her eyes to be the same as Ashley's, except green. He wondered if her eyes turned to a sharper emerald when angered. Ashley's had been a clouded desert red, then a brilliant red when she began to transform. He felt the air behind him crackle as John stiffened and turned to see his unwavering eyes trained on the teenager.

Her features, as a whole, seemed off. Like a little too unnaturally perfect. She was built small, with muscular features. Her arms were carefully sculpted and although she was mainly covered by clothes, he knew her to be in perfect athletic form. He guessed her age to be fifteen, but the only thing that gave away her age was her height and approximate weight. No scars or marks marred her lightly tanned skin. "I've heard of you," Emma said, her voice strong with a slight scratchiness to it, slightly lilted with a British accent. "Dr. DeAtenari would often speak of the work you did with the Sanctuary system."

"Not unusual, if he did work for the Cabal," Helen said, sitting down in one of the other chairs.

"I assume Clara gave you all of the information I provided her," Emma stated. Her green eyes moved from Helen's, then to Will's and finally Druitt's, scanning all of them carefully. He jerked up as he felt something brush against his mind. Startled, he looked to Helen, who gave him a reassuring smile. "When am I being transferred?"

"As soon as possible," Helen replied, "We have more than adequate facilities to run some experiments at Old City Sanctuary. You'll be remaining with us there for as long as you wish."

"Dr. Grey wanted to check Emma over quickly first before her departure. If you like, he can go ahead and do that while the two of you clean up and eat some breakfast," Clara offered.

"That sounds lovely," Helen said. "Emma, we 'll see you shortly." The teen nodded, watching the pair leave. Will turned and looked her over once more before he walked out of sight.

Having been just before dinner time when they left, Helen, Will and John joined in breakfast with some of the other UK Sanctuary staff. Helen smiled and greeted those she knew, introducing Will to most of them. The majority knew of John and avoided him, still nervous over his past.

Will didn't realize how hungry he was until food was placed in front of him. "What do you make of her," Magnus asked, settling in the chair next to him.

"She doesn't seem harmful or dangerous right now," Will replied, "Her features are a bit unnatural and her eyes are freakish, but other than that, she appears to be perfect."

"Believe me when I say that girl can go from innocent to cold blooded killer in seconds," Clara said, joining them at the table. "She's able to read the minds of those around her and anticipate their actions. You'll also need some 15-5PH needles if you want to do any type of testing on her. Her skin's incredibly tough and that's the only metal that'll penetrate it to draw blood."

"Will mentioned she was highly intelligent," Helen said.

"She is," Clara said, "At least, we assume she is. We didn't get to do much IQ testing, but the brain scans indicated activity in all areas of the brain." Helen listened intently, eating some of the breakfast they had been given.

"Does she know anything of what the Cabal are currently doing," Druitt asked.

"Not that she was willing to share. She seemed very intent on coming, and staying, within the Sanctuary system. I don't know what she was told of the Cabal, but she didn't seem to keen in going to that side," Clara said.

"Has she been trained in combat?" Will took a grateful sip of the coffee he had been given. The adrenaline was starting to wear off and he was quickly growing tired from days of research and worrying over Ashley and Magnus.

"My assumption is yes," Clara said, "All indications are that she knows how to put up quite the fight. Her body has no body fat, she's agile and was somehow…programmed to know exactly where to strike and size up the enemy."

"And there were traces of the source blood in her." Clara nodded her head, leaning forward on the table. "Do you mind if we take the notes she brought with us?"

"Go ahead. We already made copies," Clara said.

"We should be going, then. Will, I'd normally encourage you to stay, but given the circumstances…." Magnus' voice trailed off as she saw the look Clara and Will shared.

"No problem. There's always another time," Will said.

"I'll go see if Emma's ready, then meet you in the foyer in fifteen minutes," Helen stated. Will nodded, turning to Clara and grateful for the few minutes alone.

Magnus and Druitt walked away from the dining area, allowing Will a few minutes alone with Clara. She knew their relationship had grown while the younger woman had been at Sanctuary and wished she could spare him some time alone with her, but the situation begged for other actions. Walking into the lab area, she found Emma sitting on the bed, a small bag next to her. "Are you ready to leave," Magnus asked, motioning to the small bag.

"Yes," Emma replied, "I have my notes and such in here. Dr. Grey had said he would give you a binder with the results of the tests they have run so far on me. He's in the hall, if you wish to speak to him." Helen nodded and returned to the hallway, where she saw Dr. Andrew Grey writing notes in a binder.

"Emma said you had notes for me?" Grey nodded and handed her a binder, along with a manila envelope containing the originals of any scans done on the teen.

"Be careful with her, Helen," Andrew warned, turning to her. "While I'm certain her actions are true, it still seems a bit off that a girl created by a Cabal scientist comes so willingly to the other side."

"I agree," Helen said, "We're going to be keeping her in a secure lab with an EM field around it, to prevent her transporting. I'll also have some help in analyzing her there. Thank you….for having Clara contact us about her."

"I knew you needed all the help you can get to retrieve Ashley," he said. "I am sorry, by the way. Clara told me what happened in Alberta."

"Thank you," Magnus replied, her eyes darting away. "I hope we can learn how to reverse Ashley's condition." Behind her, she felt John gently put a hand on the small of her back, reminding her he was still there.

"She's a pretty complex creation," Andrew replied, "We barely scratched the surface of her abilities. I only hope she's a bit more cooperative with you."

Helen nodded, tucking the binder under her arm. "Thank you again for your help. I greatly appreciate it," she said. She hugged him tight, then went back to the room to gather Emma.

The teen still sat on the bed, her hair pulled back this time. A small rucksack bag next to her on the bed. "Do you need anything else before we leave," Helen asked, motioning to the small bag.

"No," Emma replied, "I don't have much and didn't gain anything from here." She stood, shouldering the bag. Helen eyed the teen, noticing that she stood at barely five foot. She wondered why someone create a teen to be so small. She looked like she could be snapped in half.

"No one suspects a petite teenager." Her eyes snapped up and met Emma's. "He made me small so I could easily fit into small spaces and have an advantage over my opponents. No one takes a small girl serious at first glance."

"We won't be making the same mistake," Druitt said, walking into the room. His posture and tone made it clear that Emma better not try anything or else she would pay for it. The teen nodded, showing she understood the unspoken and shifted slightly.

"We ready to go," Will asked, walking up behind him.

"I'm going to take Helen and Emma first, then be back for you," Druitt said. He reached for Helen's hand, then reached for Emma, knowing full well she could teleport herself, but didn't want to put that trust in her just yet.

Henry's head popped up when he heard the familiar shift of air and saw Druitt, Magnus and a small teenager standing in the laboratory area. A moment later, Druitt popped back out to get Will. "Henry, this is Emma. She's going to be staying with us for awhile," Helen said, guiding the teenager over to him. "Emma, this is Henry. He works for me here at Sanctuary."

"I've got the chamber ready to go with the EM field around it," Henry replied. He eyed the small teenager, wondering why all of the protection would be needed for someone that was so small, then met her eyes. Recognizing the brilliant cloudiness, he looked away, only to have her smirking at him.

"Told you," Emma muttered to no one in particular. Helen realized the affect Emma had on Henry and knew what the teen had said was true. She looked harmless, but then again, so had Ashley when she had first appeared.

Emma followed Henry and Magnus quietly down the hall, where she was lead to a small room. "Do you need to shower or anything? If not, I'd like to go ahead and get started on some initial exams," Magnus stated, pressing the code for the room and pushing the door open.

"No, I'm fine," Emma said, setting her bag down on the bed. Henry watched the interaction quietly, then wandered back down to his lab once Druitt returned. Instincts told him not to leave Magnus with the teen until she could be trusted.

"Let's get started, then," Helen said. She lead Emma down to her working lab and motioned for her to get on the bed. Pulling out the 15-5PH needles she kept in stock, she began to assemble everything that she would need. Druitt watched quietly from the doorway as she prepped Emma for the testing.

The sweatshirt the girl had been wearing was taken off and put to the side. With her hair pulled back, Magnus could see the girl's musculature was well developed. An initial BMI scan showed the girl to be slightly underweight and almost entirely made of muscle, with little body fat. Her temperature ran higher than usual, but she didn't find that unusual. The doctors notes from the UK had indicated the same. She took vials of blood, the 15-5PH needles making it easier to draw blood, but Helen found she still had to use more pressure than usual.

While the blood flowed into the vials, Helen took a moment and studied the girl up close. Her skin was soft, but she could tell not easily penetrated. The absence of scarring of any type was a bit aberrant. "My skin automatically repairs itself," Emma stated, answering the unspoken question Helen had in the back of her mind. "As do my organs and immune system. The longest I've been sick was one hour, and that was when exposed to meningitis as a means of testing."

"A bit cruel, don't you think," Druitt asked. Helen glanced up and met his eyes briefly. He didn't have to be a mind reader to know she agreed with him.

"Were more…soldiers like you made," Helen asked, reaching for the hammer to test reflexes. As she had guessed, Emma's reflexes were perfect, if not a bit quicker than the average humans.

"Yes," Emma replied, "But they all died at a young age. I was the only one that survived past age two. That's when I was given my name."

"Answers that question," Helen muttered. "I'm going to go ahead and get these samples to Henry for some tests. I want to do a full battery of scans tomorrow. Is there anything you need before retiring for the night?"

"May I have something to read," Emma asked, pulling her sweatshirt back on. "I don't require much sleep."

"I'll take you up to the library to get some books," Druitt replied. He looked to Helen, who nodded and began to clean up her supplies. Because 15-5PH needles were hard to come by, she would need to carefully clean and disinfect them.


	3. Chapter 3

Here's the next chapter...let me know your thoughts!!! Thanks for reading!!!

Helen wiped down the tables in the lab, throwing away the plastic remains and switched off the lights. She had heard Druitt and Emma return ten minutes earlier, Druitt stopping by to look in on her before being waved away. With a sigh, she slide her lab coat off and hung it up before going to check in on Emma before retiring for the night. She found the teen sitting on the bed, legs crossed and book open on her lap. "Find something to read," Helen asked, pushing the door open and closing it behind her.

"Yes, thank you," Emma replied. "Your library is quite impressive."

"It's been years in the making," Helen replied.

"I won't try to escape, you know." Helen met the teen's eyes, searching the green depths for any sincerity. "I came to Sanctuary because Dr. DeAtenari had said it was the one place I wouldn't be harmed. Going to the Cabal would ensure that I would be turned into something darker and more unusual than I already am."

"You'll have to forgive us. We saw what happened with Ashley," Magnus explained.

"I grew up like this. I've learned how to control the madness when it threatens to take over." A shiver ran down Helen's spine when she heard Emma talk about madness taking over.

"Right now, the Cabal have complete control over her. I hope to use everything we can learn from you to save her." Emma nodded, her eyes drifting from Magnus' face to her hand. Magnus saw a flash of sadness pass over the girl's face before it morphed back into the face of indifference. "Well, I need to review some of these notes and let you rest. Tomorrow will be a long day." Emma nodded, her head bowing and reading over the book. Magnus studied her for a moment longer before leaving the containment room.

Helen returned to her study, the notebook containing the notes from the UK Sanctuary over the observations of Emma. All studies showed her to be in perfect form. Perfect eyesight, above normal hearing, above normal intelligence- to the human eyes, she seemed as perfect as one could be made, and still Helen wondered why Emma would be the only to survive. Emma hadn't mentioned how many others had been made like her and Helen made a note to find out tomorrow. She heard the shuffle of clothing and looked up to see Will enter, his laptop under his arm.

"Emma settle in alright," he asked, sitting next to her on the couch.

"Yes," she said, "John took her to get some books from the library so she has something read tonight."

"Doesn't she sleep," Will asked.

"Yes, but I assume not as much as the average human," Helen replied. "What did you think of her?"

"Her actions seem sincere. I know she can be potentially lethal, but she's given no indication that she wants to become so, unless provoked," Will stated. "I've been reading through the notes online and she seems docile enough."

"My thoughts are the same. She told me why she came to Sanctuary. hated the Cabal, according to her. Thought their practices were unnecessarily cruel and harsh." Will nodded, having read the same in his notes. "I'd like you to meet with her tomorrow, for a psychological analysis. I want to know where exactly she came from and anything else you can get from her."

"Already put it on my schedule for the afternoon," he replied. "I figured you'd be testing her all morning." Helen nodded her thanks, rubbing her forehead. "I'm going to head on to bed. Want me to get you anything for the headache?"

"No thank you," she said, "Have a good night." She offered him a smile, feeling him squeeze her shoulder before leaving. She turned back to her notes, flipping through to the psychiatric evaluations.

Notes from Dr. Blaise James revealed little on the psyche of Emma. She read about why Emma had come to Sanctuary and how she had been raised. It wasn't much she hadn't heard from Emma herself, or Clara. Yawning, she set aside the notes and rubbed her forehead. When she opened them, a tea cup had appeared in front of her. "Will said you had a headache." She looked up and saw John holding the cup and saucer, giving her a comforting smile. "It's chamomile. You need your rest."

"Thanks," Helen said, taking the cup from him and taking a sip. The familiar taste comforted her and she let her eyes slide close for a moment before opening them again.

"Will thinks Emma's intentions of being here are sincere," Helen reported. "She's shown no ill-will towards any of us."

"That can quickly change," John said, settling on the couch next to her. Helen gave a sad half smile and nodded, sipping the tea again. "I want her back as much as you do."

She froze, her eyes studying him closely. "I know I haven't been the ideal father, Helen. And I know Ashley would balk if she heard this, but she is my child too," John said.

Silence fell between them as Helen thought about his words. "All I can think of is her eyes," Helen said, her voice soft. "They were so much like yours and I liked that. But now, I don't know who they belong to. Such an unnatural color and that red...that's all I can see when I close my eyes. I haven't slept since that night because all I can think about was how relieved I was to see her and then how afraid I was when I saw how unnatural she had become. That wasn't my Ashley..our Ashley." He watched as her eyes started to glimmer with tears.

"Helen, we will get her back," John said, laying a hand on her knee. "One way or another, we will get her back. Don't give up on her. Not yet." She nodded, wiping away the tears and taking a deep breath to center herself again. "Get some rest tonight so we can get started on Emma tomorrow."

She finished her cup of tea and set it down, pushing herself up off the couch. John picked up the empty cup and moved to leave, stopping when he felt a gentle tug on his arm. He turned, surprised to see Helen tugging him towards her. "Thank you for being here," she said, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. He caught the scent of roses on her skin as her lips touched his skin. He closed his eyes as memories of their time together overcame him. Stolen kisses, nights spent together- everything he had taken advantage of before the madness had controlled his life.

Helen felt John stiffen and pulled away, noticing how tight he had his eyes shut. "John? Are you alright," she asked, reaching up and touching his shoulder.

With a shudder, he opened his eyes, meeting her deep blue ones. "Fine," he said, "Just…reminiscing." He gave her a reassuring smile and took her hand in his, pressing a gentle kiss across her knuckles. "Sleep well." He let her hand go with a squeeze, then walked out the door, leaving her alone once more.

Helen let out a long sigh, running her hands through her hair before shutting the doors to her room. She changed for bed and climbed between the covers, the moonlight reflecting off the water outside her window. Between having John around and Ashley missing, a flood of emotions had been let loose inside of her. She never thought that losing Ashley would bring her closer to the man she once loved and then hated. She knew he was having flashbacks when she had kissed his cheek; she hadn't changed her perfume or soap in over 120 years. He had given her the first bottle of the perfume she still wore.

Her eyes slid shut as the mental exhaustion of the weeks caught up with her. But, as with the past times she had tried to sleep, the pair of red eyes still haunted her dreams.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Here's another longish chapter. A bit more insight into Emma. Let me know what you think and thanks so much for the reviews thus far!!

Emma sat on the small cot, her legs crossed and the book open in her lap. The sun was rising outside the walls of Sanctuary, but she never knew it down in the basement. The lights had been dimmed at night and still remained the same darkened shade.

"How's she doing," Magnus asked, walking in to Henry's lab. He had been running through the tapes that had recorded Emma throughout the night.

"Fine, as far as I can tell," he said, "She read most of the night, slept for a couple of hours and did some exercises in her room. Nothing unusual."

"Has she eaten yet," Helen asked, looking over the yards of charts that had recorded various areas of bodily activity throughout the night.

"Yeah. Big guy brought her some breakfast about an hour ago. She ate all of it," Henry dutifully reported.

"Not a surprise. Her metabolism is quite incredible," Magnus reported. Her eyes quickly glanced over the medical readouts from the electrodes she had implanted in Emma. Nothing looked as though it had changed.

"Electric boy popped in earlier. Wanted to chat with you about Emma when you had a chance."

"Alright," Helen said, "Let's go ahead and see what Emma's got in store for us today." She left Henry's lab and headed down the hall, towards Emma's.

The clicking of heels down the hall caught Emma's attention. Not moving a muscle, she kept her eyes trained on the book in front of her. She listened as Dr. Magnus walked down the hall, opposite of where her room was and spoke to Henry. She could hear every word that was said, at fifty yards away. Finally, she heard the heels clicking again and within a few seconds, Magnus stood outside the door to Emma's room. Her ears picked up on the electric beeping, her mind processing what the numbers were to the corresponding beeps. She had no intention of escaping, but kept it filed away in case she needed that knowledge. "Good morning, Emma," Magnus said, "I trust you slept well?"

"Yeah," Emma replied, setting aside the book. "Are we starting with the tests?"

"Yes," Magnus replied. Without leading Emma, she watched as the teen walked quietly out of the room and back down the hall to her lab.

Magnus watched the monitors as Emma slid into the CAT scan machine, waiting while images appeared a moment later. "Emma, can you hear me," Helen asked, through the microphone.

"Yes," she replied. She'd been in CAT, MRI and a variety of machines before. This one did nothing more to frighten her.

"Talk to me about how the blood source works," Helen said. She glanced to Will, who began recording everything from the screens. Helen watched as the images of Emma's brain lit up as she began to explain how the source blood worked. From there, Helen asked questions in a variety of areas; about how genetic mutations occurred and the history of abnormals. For a teenager, it seemed that her knowledge was boundless. Based on the images, all areas of Emma's brain were used, some areas lighting up more than others based on the questions asked.

Finally, Helen concluded the session and Emma emerged from the machine. Will quickly undid the straps that had been holding her still, moving back to help her setup. "So, this is the super soldier Henry told me about." The three of them looked up and saw Nikola Tesla standing in the doorway, ambling towards them.

"Nikola Tesla. Interesting to meet you," Emma said, holding out her hand and meeting his eyes.

"And you would be….?" His voice trailed off as his scientific mind studied her closely.

"Emma," she replied. She felt a slight shock run through her arm, but ignored it as he shook her hand.

"We just acquired her from the UK Sanctuary," Helen stated. "She has characteristics similar to those we saw in Ashley." Seeing Tesla and knowing how he would react to the teen gave her the perfect opportunity to see how Emma would react in a battle situation, without really have suggested it.

"Oh really," he said, "Care to show off then?" Helen opened her mouth to interject, then upon seeing the clearness dawn in Emma's eyes and once again, her mind flashed back to the animalistic color that Ashley's had become. Her mind already began to file these observations away.

"Magnus, you can't be serious," Will said, his eyes moving from Tesla and Emma back to her. He saw the determined and anxious look in Magnus' eyes, recognizing it immediately for what it was.

"We do need to study her physical reactions,"Magnus said. "We'll use the training room. It's the most secure environment."

"Magnus, you have no idea of what these two can accomplish when pissed off," Will said. He agreed that they needed to find out exactly how well Emma could fight, but felt that pitting her against Tesla, a man who had proven to be dangerous at best, when angered, was not the best way of discovering that information.

"No time like the present," Tesla said. "Besides, your darling girl looks she's ready for a fight." Emma pushed herself off the bed, looking up at Tesla in defiance.

"Ready when you are." Inside, she felt the fury unfurling and spreading throughout her, a warmth she hadn't felt in awhile. She worked hard to control the fury she had been born with. Releasing only helped her to feel more relaxed.

They walked down the hall to the room, where Helen, Will and Henry sat behind a thick plexiglass wall, observing.

"Thought I was missing out on something," John's voice came from behind. He glanced at the two individuals in the room, then back to Helen, who watched intently.

"Boss, you sure this is a good idea," Henry asked nervously. He watched as Emma tore off her sweatshirt and tossed it aside, her muscles rippling slightly. Already, she had changed slightly- her muscles bulging a bit more, her teeth sharpening slightly.

Hating to damage his good clothes, Tesla had shed the suit he wore and had donned a pair of scrubs from the infirmary. "We need to see what she can do," Helen said, her gaze unwavering.

"Are we supposed to tell them to start or-" Will's voice was cut off as Tesla lunged for Emma, who shot away from him. Already, he was fully transformed. Diamond hard sharp claws protracted from her fingers and she struck for him, her hands colliding with his own. They danced around each other, one looking as fierce as the other. Tesla would lunge at Emma, who disappeared in a cloud of smoke, only to appear behind him. She ducked and swung a leg out, tripping him.

John watched on with a stony expression, knowing Emma was taunting the other man. The real fight would be later. As soon as he completed the thought, something inside Emma snapped. She became proactive, rather than reactive and the group could see the ferocity that seemed to emanate from her.

She could hear his thoughts. He had sized her up and determined he could easily take her. To him, a five-foot even fifteen year old possessed little danger. Which was what made her flex her hands and lash out. She pushed her way through his mind, anticipating every move, every hit and every move he made the minute he could think it. Her claws and legskicked and thrashed, pummeling him with every ounce of her strength. In return, Tesla snarled and struck back, only to be met with dissipating air.

The small group behind the window watched, Helen with a sad and knowing look and Henry with his jaw dropped and cheering Emma on silently with slight moves of his own. John watched with haunted eyes as the teenager before him turned into a ripping and vicious beast eerily too reminiscent of his daughter and once upon a time…himself. Will alternated between shutting his eyes and trying to figure out why Magnus was allowing this to happen.

Although her physical transformation wasn't as obvious as Tesla's, it was terrifying in its own way.

"Helen, you have got to stop this. She and Tesla will go at each other until they tear each other apart. You've seen what she can do," John stated in a deadly calm voice. The awe he had felt earlier had given way to fear that the teen had exceeded even her own limits.

"She's incredible," Helen said, "She's anticipating each and every one of his moves and she doesn't even have a scratch on her. Look at her brain activity." She motioned to the image in front of her, that showed Emma's brain activity according the device Helen had implanted on her. "This is absolutely astounding."

"Helen!" She turned, startled by his voice and the fear she saw in his face. Before she could react, he disappeared and reappeared in the room, grabbing Emma from behind. Having seen this reaction from him, Emma stopped fighting and retreated to the corner, her chest heaving as she caught her breath.

John felt Tesla struggle against him, then gradually calm when he sensed the threat was gone. He slowly morphed back into himself, looking down at his arms. Pink scratches with dots of blood marred his pale skin. He touched the scratches gently, hissing as it burned. He couldn't remember the last time he had been hurt with something small like a scratch.

"You put up a good fight," he said, turning to Emma, whose eyes had returned to their usual startling green shade.

"You too, old man," she said, with a smirk.

"Are you alright," John asked, bending down to look the teen in the eye. The rage and anger he had seen in her eyes just two minutes prior were gone and he felt the fist clenching his heart loosen a little.

"Yes," Emma said, cracking her neck. "I'm fine." He studied her a moment more before letting her go.

Will, Henry and Magnus entered the room, surveying the damage done. The room was concrete and sound protected and normally held equipment Ashley had used to train with. Now, the equipment lay in shambles, with chunks of concrete missing, scarred by slash marks. "Jesus," Henry said, looking around, "Remind me to never piss you off."

"So, what's for lunch," Emma asked, sliding her sweatshirt back on and zipping it up. Will just laughed and shook his head nervously, leading the Henry and Emma out of the room.

"Get any good data from that little tete-a-tete," Tesla asked, running his hands through his spiky hair. A light sheen of sweat covered his face.

"Enough for a good afternoon of study," Magnus replied, sending the readouts to be printed. "Nikola, what was it like to fight her?"

"A bit overwhelming, but that's to be expected when you go head to head with an indestructible force," Tesla said, "You know, she could have easily taken me down without using the fancy fighting tricks. I could feel her in my mind, reading every action. Even when I started to go on instinct, she knew what I was going to do."

"What did you think to set her off?"

"That she was a bit small for an unstoppable force," he said. "She wasn't really fighting before. Merely sizing me up, which even I'll admit didn't take her much time." He took a deep breath, then stepped away. "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to get a shower and then get some lunch. That workout tends to create quite the appetite." He flashed a smile at Helen, then left while she gathered her notes.

"Helen, may I have a moment," John asked, as soon as Tesla had left the room. She continued to gather her materials, stopping only when she felt his gentle touch on her arm.

"I'm in control, John," she said, turning to him.

"With all respect, Helen, I don't think you are," John replied. "She is not an animal that here for the sole pleasure of your experimentation. She is a living, breathing teenager."

"Dammit, John, I know that!" She threw her notebooks down, the sound ringing in the silence that fell between them. "I know she's only fifteen and never had a family! I know she was created for the sole purpose of destruction! But I also know that everytime I look at her, all I can see is Ashley's face looking back at me and all I can think about is how that girl can help bring my daughter back to me." Her voice softened as tears began to fall down her face. "I can't…I can't stop and look at her. I can't allow myself to think for one second about how young she is or how much she reminds me of Ashley." She stopped the tears rolling down her face. "I need to get through this. I need to find a way to get her back and so God help me…." Her emotions took over and she let out a sob, covering her mouth with a shaking hand.

John walked up to her and before she could resist, she was in his arms. He held her close, feeling her hands clench the silk of his shirt in her fists. Tears soaked the material, but he didn't care. It took the devastation of losing a child, perhaps for forever, to bring her back in his arms and he felt his heart break as he felt Helen cry against and knew that he might never be able to know his daughter properly. "We're going to get her back," he whispered against her hair, his lips brushing against her temple gently. "I hate this as much as you do, but destroying Emma's life to get Ashley back is not how we need to do it."

"I miss her so much," Helen said, "I just pray every day she knew how much I cared for her."

"She knew," John said, "One way or another, she knew." He pressed a kiss to her temple, feeling her pull away and gave her a moment to compose herself. When she turned back to him a moment later, there was no evidence she had broken down.

"Lunch should be ready," Magnus said, running her hands over her shirt and pants to straighten them out. "I'm having Will meet with Emma for the afternoon, to complete a psychiatric analysis."

"Talk with her this afternoon," John said, "Get to know her. See for yourself that she's not Ashley." Helen nodded, turning on her heel and heading for the lunch room.

Emma sat patiently on the couch in Will's office while he readied himself. He had a tape recorder present, along with a notepad. "Okay," he said, sitting in the chair opposite her, "Let's go ahead and get started for with the basics. We know your name is Emma. Do you have a last name?"

"No," she replied. "I wasn't given a name until I turned two. After that, it was just the doctor and I."

"How long did you live with Dr. DeAtenari?"

"From the time I was born until he died three weeks ago," she said. "He was the only…family of sorts that I had."

"Did you consider him family," Will asked. He noticed her hesitation on her last response and knew immediately that she had wanted him to hear that hesitation.

"In a way," Emma explained, "He cared for me and saw to my needs…trained me and made sure that my growth continued down the path he intended so by definition, he would qualify to be family."

"Why did he create you?"

"I don't really know," Emma replied, the honesty evident in her voice, "At times, I thought it was so he could earn his place with the Cabal once more, but then as I grew up, I noticed how bitter he was towards them." She took a deep breath, her hands twisting in her lap as she thought. "I think he did it because he was lonely."

"Why did he create you to be something that couldn't be destroyed?" His question hung in the air well after it had been voiced and studied her while she sought an answer she seemingly didn't want to give.

"Because the perfect army couldn't be destroyed." Her voice was so strain to hear it. Up to this point, he had seen Emma as an unnatural force of nature that had no vulnerability. Now, as she sat on the couch, the hem of her sweatshirt twisted in her hands, he realized her weakness. "The others…the sequencing failed and they died because their bodies weren't strong enough to handle the preparation or the learning that came with it. But I….somehow I survived."

"Do you know for sure that you're immortal,"he asked.

"I've been running the tests myself for the past two years," Emma explained, "My rate of growth has stopped exponentially and my hormone levels have leveled off. The rate of cell birth and decay cancel each other out. I will never look older than fifteen."

"How long have you been fifteen?"

"For seventeen years," she replied, "I haven't aged and never will. Quite young in the whole perspect of things."

"How did Dr. DeAtenari teach you how to fight?"

"I wasn't taught. I was born with the knowledge." Emma felt the confusion from Will and smiled. "Dr. DeAntenari embedded it in my genetic coding. He privately tutored me though, in other areas, such as English and History. However, math and science were my strongest areas, since that was what was encoded into me."

"You speak of yourself like you're a machine," Will stated, "But, you are a flesh and blood human."

"Quite the paradox then, aren't I," Emma said with a smirk. "Yes, I am flesh and blood, but my conception, birth and….unique genetic coding? I'm not naturally occurring either."

"Did you consider Dr. DeAtenari to be your father?"

"In some ways. He created me, cared and raised for me," Emma explained, "I wasn't shown much affection or loved much, but he was all I had. I rarely went outside the compound. I only left when he would take me on small trips or outings."

The questions continued for another hour and a half, until Will felt that he had enough to form a general impression of her. He let her go, instructing her to only stay in the downstairs lab area and not to venture up in the higher reaches of the castle. She nodded, showing she would easily comply with his request.


End file.
